Mcleodganj

We had discussed and agreed to go to the Valley of Flowers during this time before the Gurdjieff workshop. It has been a dream of mine for three Septembers to go after the monsoon, when gajilions of flowers are in bloom in the national park, and I was determined to not make this the fourth September that comes and goes without realizing this trip. Well, I guess existence really wants me to fight hard to make it there. And I was not in a fighting mood after coming out of vipassana. In fact, I did pretty much nothing, almost no physical activity at all, for 4 days after coming out of vipassana. The very last thing I wanted to do was go trekking up and down mountains, along with hundreds of pilgrims, being even colder then I was in vipassana and for longer, and after all that going into a 3-week workshop which I know is going to be really intense for me. It didn’t take much arm twisting for Nisarga to come around. He was also quite fine with staying in Mcleod, and so we did.

So what is so special about Mcleodganj? Lets start with a bit of history. Its fame began when it became the home of the Tibetan government in exile, namely the residence of His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama (HHDL). In 1960 HHDL and his followers claimed asylum here following the Chinese invasion of Tibet, and Mcleodganj found itself on the map! Facing persecution, more than 250,000 Tibetan refugees have fled their homeland, on foot over the Himalayas, to seek sanctuary in India. The village of Gangchen Kyishong below Mcleodganj is now the headquarters for the official Tibetan government in exile, with a dedicated team of politicians and legal experts fighting for liberation and the rights of those still oppressed in Tibet. As a result it’s a main traveller hangout especially those who want to volunteer or be connected with this community; young foreign NGO types mostly, “do-gooders”, “hippie wanna-bees,” and “bleeding heart liberals” as they would be called in the states. Fear not, there are also plenty of Punjabis who come up with screaming kids, extended families, bling bling, and roaring SUVs for long weekends from the neighboring state. It has also become a major centre for the study of Buddhism and Tibetan culture, with all sorts of holistic and alternative activities, healing, and courses on offer.

On a personal level, to me it is a lovely escape from India within India. As much as that is possible anyway. I came here for the first time 4 years ago, and have been returning every chance I got. It is a small town where little effort is necessary. This means you can walk everywhere you want to go, no negotiating for a rickshaw ride to your destination and no traffic to get stuck in. Thanks to the many foreigners who pass through here there are many different kinds of cuisines available, mostly vegetarian versions though: Japanese, Thai, Mexican, Italian, Israeli, Tibetan, Indian, Korean, etc. And because the visitors are mostly of the “I want to change the world” type, backpackers and volunteers, the prices reflect that. Most places are not shi-shi, they are laid back, relaxed, friendly. While it actually costs a lot of money to construct a building here, and lots more to own the land, rooms are rented out for almost nothing. Our room, with a small private balcony, overlooking the snow peaks and facing the sun rise, with a bathroom (yes, western toilet; yes, 24/7 hot water; yes, running shower), small kitchen equipped with basic pots and pans and things, and a double bed with heavy blankets costs 200 rupees per night! That’s just over $4, or about €3. And we split that between the two of us! There are also tons of shopping to be done, with all kinds of things Tibetan, funky clothes, silver jewelery, etc.

With all these foreigners around, many searching for something more and many of those wanting a spiritual connection, there are so many different kinds of classes and courses and workshops and things around it is amazing! Almost anything is available for study or practice: Magic, jewellery making, reiki, yoga, all kinds of massage, different kinds of dance (including salsa!), tarot, taichi, Buddhist philosophy, all kinds of meditations, Tibetan and Indian cooking classes, aryuvedic panchakarma, music lessons, sound therapy, painting, and lots more! You could stay here and study for months and months. As for us, I have taken a wonderful one-month ashtanga yoga teachers training course with Vijay (www.vijaypoweryoga.com), a short massage course, and of course tibetan cooking lessons… momo’s anyone??? Nisarga has gone through his reiki level 2 and masters training here, and plans to take a short course on using Tibetan bowls. We are also thinking of doing a one-month aryuvedic panchakarma treatment some time in the future.

And you can volunteer with all kinds of causes and organizations. You can also attend documentary film screenings or discussions with former political prisoners, mass teachings by the Dalai Lama (we did that the day after we got out of vipassana), open mike nights and jam sessions. Yes, there is lots to do and do and do and do and do. And all within a few blocks! And when you want to let go of the mind a bit and go into nature, there are so many different walks you can take. There is the smaller waterfall, and the larger one. The snow line. And forest after forest after forest…

for mcleodganj album go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/nisargaanddeepa/Mcleodganj#